Awesome Gifts For Geeky Dads — And Total Father’s Day Luddites

We may be hardcore gadget freaks at Wired, but that doesn’t mean our dads are cut from the same nerdy cloth. In the lead-up to this year’s Father’s Day -- it’s this coming Sunday -- we hand-picked a variety of presents to give to our patres familias, and the gear runs the gamut from borderline Luddite to full-fledged geeky.

Haven’t purchased a gift for Pops yet? Read on for inspiration -- and in the comments section below, let us know what you’re giving to your dad this weekend.

Emporia emporiaCLICK Mobile Phone

Shown above

This Father’s Day I will be honoring an 82-year-old man who has never shot a digital photo. He has never plugged in a computer cable. He doesn’t understand how the “source” button on his TV remote magically switches between cable and VHS content, and he has definitely never sent a text message.

But he has to use a cell phone. He needs to reach family, friends, and even emergency responders when he’s alone. He’s fully independent, but has all the health problems you might expect of an American octogenarian. So, no, outfitting him with a “phone for seniors” isn’t beneath me, your Gadget Lab editor.

It won’t be available until later this summer, but the emporiaCLICK could be just the right rain-check Father’s Day present for the man who still answers his phone by saying, “It’s Big Herb!” Open up the clamshell, and he’ll find big, easy-to-jab, backlit buttons. Included are three impossible-to-miss speed-dial keys to help him quickly call loved ones -- and each button is marked with a pictograph of a human being to remind him of its purpose.

The LCD display and entire UI has been designed for people with poor eyesight. But three features in particular are tailor-made for Dad: The phone includes an integrated LED flashlight, the speakers are hearing aid compatible, and there’s a “Call For Care” button that automatically dials emergency services.

No, it’s not a smartphone. He doesn’t need a smartphone. He needs a phone that he can actually use. And, no, I don’t feel bad about discussing his technology challenges in public. He will never read these words on the family internet machine. He simply wouldn’t know how to find them. --Jon Phillips, Gadget Lab senior editor

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Nerf Super Soakers

Growing up, my sister and I would always get my dad Super Soakers and Nerf guns for Father’s Day. And for Christmas. And for his birthday. Our thinking: Grownups like toys too, right? These “gifts” lend themselves to hours of family fun, as you chase one another around the yard, and try to avoid being pelted or sprayed.

Because Father’s Day is right on the cusp of summer, a Super Soaker, like the
Nerf Super Soaker Lightning Storm Water Blaster, is an ideal choice for this year’s celebrations. The Lightning Storm holds 35 ounces of water in a detachable stock, and can shoot a steady beam of water up to 25 feet -- enough to reach Dad even if he’s a speedy runner. It’s also got a detachable blast shield for deflecting spray from other water-gun-wielding attackers.

The Lightning Storm is a steal at $30, but you can also toss in one or two Electrostorm Water Blasters, the Blaster’s smaller $12 companion. The Electrostorm Water Blaster holds 2.6 ounces of water, so even though it doesn’t have lasting spray power, it’s lightweight. Both run on four AA batteries, making pumping a water gun a task of the past. --Christina Bonnington, Gadget Lab reporter

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Canon 10 x 30 IS Binoculars

One day, before I was born, my Dad’s camera was stolen. He never bought a new one, eschewing a replacement camera for a pair of Bausch & Lomb binoculars. An avid birdwatcher, my Dad can identify a warbler from hundreds of feet. But those old chunks of plastic and glass are holding him back. They lasted him for years, but in that time the binocular game has changed.

For example, new image stabilization technology from Canon compensates for minor shakes, keeping those little birds crisp and clear. Dad, it’s time to upgrade.

Canon’s IS 10 x 30 binoculars, in addition to using traditional porro prisms, use “Vari-Angle Prisms.” These prisms consist of two lenses held together by a bellows -- it looks kind of like an accordion. When the binoculars shake — which happens all of the time, if you’re not a robot or a sniper for Seal Team 6 — the bellows flex. The angle between the lenses changes, and the light bends, striking your retina at the same angle as it did before your hand wobbled.

A pair of motion sensors (one for each axis) and a microprocessor drive the flex in real time. In other words, they work really fast. With these $550 Canon binoculars, even if my dad’s hands shake, he’ll still be able to distinguish between those confusing fall warblers in perfect clarity. --Nathan Hurst, Wired reviews fellow

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Craftsman Lighted Pliers

My father is a jet mechanic by trade. From fighter jets to 747s, he knows the ins and outs of most of the planes that fly overhead. However, like an automobile mechanic, his tools are his own. That’s right: Except for specialized tools that can't be purchased, he has to buy all of his equipment. Some of it can be found at any hardware store; some of it has to be custom-built to spec. His tools are his livelihood.

Well, here’s a tool that I’m guessing Dad has never seen. The $20 Craftsman Lighted Pliers includes an LED that resides at the tool’s swivel point, and shines a bright beam directly at what you're attempting to grasp. It's perfect for my dad because it expands the utility of an established tool -- and I think it can change his game. I picked the needlenose pliers, but Craftsman also makes lighted wirecutters and linesman pliers. --Roberto Baldwin, Gadget Lab reporter

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

ArcOne Python Welding Helmet

My father welds stuff, eagerly and poorly. Once, when I was a kid, I snapped the left crank on my beloved orange Schwinn bike. Rather than buy a new crank -- how much could that have cost in 1977? -- my dad leapt at the chance to weld it back on. The result: A lumpy, blackened, tumor of a crank set several degrees off center.

My dad still welds stuff, with as much enthusiasm and as little skill as ever. I know I risk being an enabler here, but for Father’s Day, I’d like to get him an ArcOne Python welding helmet.

The $170 Python comes in several different graphic set-ups, including the World War II-inspired design shown here. For an extra $80, it can be configured, like this one, with ArcOne’s Intelligent Darkening Filter. It’s a digital screen that you can set to automatically adjust darkness levels depending on the type of welding or grinding, and intensity of the light.

Big dials on the side let you adjust screen sensitivity or select customized darkness settings. And the 7.25-square-inch viewing area is plenty big enough for my dad to see what he’s welding.

Not that I expect that to make much of a difference for him. --John Bradley, Wired magazine senior editor

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Celestron NexStar 4SE Computerized Telescope

My dad has always had hobbies -- and he has generally cycled through them: airplane, sailboat, English car restoration, home renovation, and back to the beginning.

But since he retired, he’s been trying new things. There’s been the tried-and-true RV for quick, weeklong jaunts around the West, but more interesting has been a newfound passion for astronomy. There’s an observatory just a couple of miles from my parents’ home, and since retirement, Dad has become a docent there. Every time we visit, we hear a new story about the history of the telescopes, or some cool thing they’re being used for.

So, this Father’s Day, in homage to the cheap red starter model my parents got me over three decades ago, I thought a really good telescope would be a perfect gift for Dad.

I like the Celestron NexStar 4SE Computerized Telescope for three important reasons: First, it’s a reasonably powerful telescope that lets you view Mars and its moons, or even Saturn and its rings. Second, it has a computer-controlled mount that, once aligned with brightly visible objects, can automatically hone in on any of 10,000 visible objects in the sky. Third, it has a camera mount and shutter release cables to allow easy astrophotography. --Ken Denmead, GeekDad editor

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Leatherman Rebar

My Dad is the king of multi-tools. He always has one ready for when a screw needs tightening, or a loose thread or wire needs cutting. And as a former mechanic, he’s the first to tackle any home appliance or gadget repair. Before I turned six, he handed me one of his many classic Swiss Army knives, “just in case” I needed it while on the go.

It’s not exactly the gift an elementary school girl dreams of, but, hey, at least the scissors came in handy.

Now I want to return the favor and give my dad a multi-tool that can take one of the top spots in his already enviable collection. And if I’ve learned anything from my dad’s tool use, it’s that you can never have too many quality tools. Of all the multi-tools available, Leathermans have impressed my father the most. In fact, he still has his original Leatherman PST, which a close family friend happened to help design. To that end, the Leatherman Rebar is the perfect follow-up addition.

For $50, the Rebar packs 17 tools -- that’s three more than the PST -- into a compact, stainless steel, 4-inch box design. It has the classic needlenose pliers, three types of screwdrivers, a bottle opener, and of course, the necessary knife. But the Rebar is also the first 4-inch Leatherman to feature replaceable wire and hard-wire cutters. Plus, it sports an electrical crimper, serrated knife, wood and metal file, saw, can opener, wire stripper, awl with a thread loop, and ruler.

The entire package can fit easily into my Dad’s jacket pocket, or remain strapped on his belt in a classy-looking leather case. With the Rebar, maybe, just maybe, my Dad’s multi-tool collection will finally be complete. --Alexandra Chang, Gadget Lab reporter

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Boardworks Badfish Stand Up Paddle

To be clear, I love my three kids dearly. It’s all the hauling around between various dance, lacrosse and trampoline-related events I could do without, at least for a few hours. And that’s where the paddling comes in.

Rather than skive off to some Latin American beach town with a perfect point break in true abandon-your-family style, my plan is rather more paternalistic. Which is to say, I will only abandon the kids temporarily as I skim across the San Francisco Bay. The problem is finding a sea-worthy vessel that’s portable, and can fit under my desk.

Behold the $840 Boardworks Badfish MCIT Inflatable stand-up paddle board. It’s 10 feet and 6 inches of pure escape. What makes this a lust-worthy gadget is its combination of portability — I can stuff it into a large backpack — and paddling performance. Designed more for river running and flat water as opposed to surf, the Badfish utilizes something called “multi chamber inflatable technology and axially stabilizing apparatus.” Boardworks claims it increases responsiveness and stability. If nothing else, it sounds badass.

The board itself is made of incredibly stout material, and that’s a good thing. I plan to paddle in somewhere near Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, and dodge Alcatraz, Treasure Island and the odd container ship. If I don’t get sucked out through the Golden Gate, I’ll be back home in Berkeley in time for Father’s Day brunch.

Ion Air Pro WiFi Camera

Among the many traits my Dad and I share is a love for technology and automobiles. He runs a software company, but also finds time to hit his local raceways in his 2006 Ford GT. When tech and cars can be brought together, it’s a beautiful thing, so for this Father’s Day, I’m looking for track-friendly gadgetry. My eye is on the Ion Air Pro WiFi camera, which can capture all the action as he drives as quickly as possible from apex to apex.

The $230 Air Pro can easily attach to the dash of his GT. The camera is incredibly light, and has a slim, low profile -- both design elements are essential for keeping vibrations to a minimum in a high-velocity vehicle. And a press of the unit’s Wi-Fi button enables the Air Pro to easily stream video to any iOS or Android phone or tablet -- perfect for my Dad, who’s an iPhone user.

Most importantly, the video-to-iPhone feature will allow my dad to see exactly what the camera’s shooting, so he can find the perfect camera angle through his windshield before he starts recording. That’s something he can’t do, as of yet, with the GoPro HD Hero2 camera I got him for Christmas. But the Air Pro won’t be replacing the GoPro. The GoPro is still an incredible camera, but it’s better suited strapped to a rollcage or mounted on an outside fender.

Now all I need to do is teach my dad is how to edit the video from the Air Pro and the GoPro together. Maybe Final Cut Pro will be my holiday gift to him. --Nathan Olivarez-Giles, Gadget Lab reporter

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Apple MacBook Air

You probably saw this one coming, as we've frequently deemed Apple's svelte notebook the singular, unimpeachable choice for many a gifting occasion. But it really is the perfect gift for the dad who needs a laptop upgrade, especially if he uses his computer for the same tasks as 90 percent of the laptop-toting public: running productivity apps like MS Office, writing emails, keeping photos organized, and a whole lot of everything else in the browser. Although with this week's MacBook refresh bumping the RAM and storage capacities and making IvyBridge processors standard, the Air is now well suited to handle more intensive tasks as well.

Thanks in large part to the Air's popularity, there's currently a raft of ultrabooks on the market, and several at the Air's $1,000-to-$1,200 price point that can satisfy the basic laptop users' needs. But Apple's notebook comes with niceties -- a backlit keyboard, a big and comfortable glass trackpad, an outstanding screen, a stunningly light and rigid unibody design -- absent from all but the priciest ultrabook competitors.

And here's the trump card: customer service. If Dad has a problem, large or small, he can walk into any Apple retail store and have the situation resolved in a timely manner through a face-to-face interaction. Poor old Pop won't be calling you (or worse, a mechanized help center) to dig him out of a jam.

I'm buying my dad a MacBook Air for Father's Day so he can finally ditch his turn-of-the-century Dell. As long as I can remember, he's been skeptical of the idea that a Mac could be used for "real work," so I thought it was going to take a whole lot of convincing to get him to switch to Apple hardware. But after he borrowed a family member's MacBook for a couple of hours, he made up his mind. He loves how light them machine is and the comfort of the keyboard. But I get the feeling he's really going to miss all those Norton antivirus update reminders. --Michael Calore, Wired.com reviews editor